Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is highly important in the field of molecular biology through its ability to identify, manipulate and reproduce genetic material such as DNA. PCR is routinely performed in a variety of medical and research laboratories, for example, to detect and/or identify disease and clone genes. PCR involves heating and cooling genetic material in the presence of, at least, target specific PCR primers, and one or more thermostable polymerases, in order to amplify one or more desired targets within the genetic material. However, amplification of non-specific sequences by mis-priming of the PCR primers can compete with amplification of the desired target sequences and reduce amplification efficiency of the target. To reduce nonspecific product amplification or mis-priming of PCR primers, techniques referred to as “hot-start” PCR have been developed. General hot-start PCR strategies include the use of temperature sensitive materials that prevents mixing of reagents until the appropriate time or temperature sensitive polymerases that have been modified to become active at a certain temperature. The most common hot-start strategies involve the use of oligonucleotide aptamers or antibodies that inhibit the function of DNA polymerase or chemically modified polymerases with reversible modifications. Other hot-start PCR strategies include the use of oligonucleotide primer sequence constructs that disfavor mis-priming, such as competitor sequences.